I previously wrote about how the summer of 1987 was a transformative period in Phish’s career - a point where the band would take the leap between playing occasionally at random bars, and becoming a full-time band. I think an equally important transition point for Phish was the summer of 1993. The 93 summer tour is definitively the most frequently mentioned date I hear when people talk or write about the band making the next leap, from a good touring band to a world-class act. So, as I became slightly overwhelmed by the monotony of reviewing shows from the late 80s, I decided that I may as well jump straight to this point in time. I figured it would give me a good foundation to start with, and also highlight a series of shows that will always have something of interest.

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Way back when, when people connected to the Internet through 2400 baud modems and walled garden programs, Phish shows were traded exclusively via snail mail. Rec.Music.Phish allowed Phish fans from all over the world to post their tape lists, and all it really took was a few emails to find someone willing to offer up a B+P (“blanks and postage” for those of you from the digital age). I’m sure there are many people who remember the exciting day when a package finally arrived in the mail, smelling of cigarette smoke, filled with Maxell UR 90’s, or maybe, if you were lucky, a long show filling up a couple of XLII 100’s. Well, I remember those days, and I remember my first one of those days in particular, when I received a copy of 8/21/87 in the mail.

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